President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday replaced the commander of Ukraine’s crucial military unit for the third time in less than a year, as the eastern hub of Pokrovsk faces a heightened risk of falling to Russian forces.
Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, said he put Ukraine’s new commander of ground forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, in charge of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group, whose area of responsibility includes much of Ukraine’s eastern front.
“These are the toughest areas of fighting,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he had discussed the changes at a meeting with Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Russia Targets Donetsk Region
Russia’s capture of the city would bring it closer to seizing the entire Donetsk region, which has been one of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in his war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy added that Drapatyi’s appointment will help to combine the combat work of the army with the proper training of brigades.
“It is the front-line needs that should determine the standards for staffing and training of brigades,” he said.
Drapatyi will replace Major General Andriy Hnatov, who has been in charge of Khortytsia since June and who will become a Deputy Chief of the General Staff to run training and communication.
Defending Crucial Territories
This series of changes underscores the growing challenges Ukraine faces as it defends crucial territories like Pokrovsk, which have become focal points in the ongoing conflict with Russian forces.
The replacements suggest significant military strain and the need for strategic adjustments.
Each shift in leadership comes amid intensified Russian offensives, particularly in the east, where Ukrainian forces are engaged in a protracted battle to hold key positions.
Russia Advances Westwards
Russian forces have been steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region towards Pokrovsk, bypassing it from the south and trying to cut off supply routes to Ukraine’s troops.
Pokrovsk, which had a pre-war population of around 60,000, has been one of Ukraine’s main defensive strongholds in the Donetsk region and the focus of fierce fighting for months.
(With inputs from Reuters)
